The illustrations make this a worthwhile read.
A Christmas-themed color-recognition board book.
This rhyming story points out all of the different colors of the Christmas season: the “dazzling white” of a snowman and the iconic red worn by “Santa in his sled,” for example. The holiday theme is largely a vehicle for color-identification practice, and the rhymes generally keep the pace going (even if they do force the use of sled instead of sleigh). Some of the phrasing reads aloud awkwardly, but it’s a mild interruption. Barnard’s illustrations include characters of many different racial presentations, though Santa appears White. Additionally, there are lots of lovely details, like the candy jars in a store window filled with meticulously detailed sweets or the miniature silhouette of Santa and his reindeer flying across the moon while children get ready for bed. A particularly beautiful scene shows St. Nick soaring over rooftops, the red of his sleigh bright against the black night sky. The illustrations are more interesting than the text, offering much more to take in than simply the color identification. This gives it a repeat-read boost for the toddler crowd, as there is more than one way to read, talk about, and engage with the book.
The illustrations make this a worthwhile read. (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-6643-5002-1
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
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Another Seuss-chimera joins the ranks of the unforgettable Herlar and with the advent of the Grinch— a sort of Yule Ghoul who lives in a cave just north of who-ville. While all the Who's made ready on Christmas Eve the Grinch donned a Santa-Claus disguise. In gurgling verse at a galloping gait, we learn how the Grinch stole the "presents, the ribbons, the wrappings, the tags, the tinsel and trappings," from all the Who's. But the Grinch's heart (two sizes too small) melted just in time when he realized that the Who's enjoyed Christmas without any externals. Youngsters will be in transports over the goofy gaiety of Dr. Seuss's first book about a villain — easily the best Christmas-cad since Scrooge. Inimitable Seuss illustrations of the Grinch's dog Max disguised as a reindeer are in black and white with touches of red. Irrepressible and irresistible.
Pub Date: Oct. 12, 1957
ISBN: 0394800796
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1957
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